Is narcissism evil?

Question

I am reading Scott Peck ("People of the Lie") now and also Sam Vaknin ("Malignant Self Love"). Peck says that narcissists are evil and Vaknin says that they are not evil. Both sound convincing...

Answer 1

In his bestselling "People of the Lie", Scott Peck claims that narcissists are evil. Are they?

The concept of "evil" in this age of moral relativism is slippery and ambiguous. The "Oxford Companion to Philosophy" (Oxford University Press, 1995) defines it thus: "The suffering which results from morally wrong human choices."

To qualify as evil a person (Moral Agent) must meet these requirements:

That he can and does consciously choose between the (morally) right and wrong and constantly and consistently prefers the latter;
That he acts on his choice irrespective of the consequences to himself and to others.
Clearly, evil must be premeditated. Francis Hutcheson and Joseph Butler argued that evil is a by-product of the pursuit of one's interest or cause at the expense of other people's interests or causes. But this ignores the critical element of conscious choice among equally efficacious alternatives. Moreover, people often pursue evil even when it jeopardizes their well-being and obstructs their interests. Sadomasochists even relish this orgy of mutual assured destruction.

Narcissists satisfy both conditions only partly. Their evil is utilitarian. They are evil only when being malevolent secures a certain outcome. Sometimes, they consciously choose the morally wrong – but not invariably so. They act on their choice even if it inflicts misery and pain on others. But they never opt for evil if they are to bear the consequences. They act maliciously because it is expedient to do so – not because it is "in their nature".

The narcissist is able to tell right from wrong and to distinguish between good and evil. In the pursuit of his interests and causes, he sometimes chooses to act wickedly. Lacking empathy, the narcissist is rarely remorseful. Because he feels entitled, exploiting others is second nature. The narcissist abuses others absent-mindedly, off-handedly, as a matter of fact.

The narcissist objectifies people and treats them as expendable commodities to be discarded after use. Admittedly, that, in itself, is evil. Yet, it is the mechanical, thoughtless, heartless face of narcissistic abuse – devoid of human passions and of familiar emotions – that renders it so alien, so frightful and so repellent.

We are often shocked less by the actions of narcissist than by the way he acts. In the absence of a vocabulary rich enough to capture the subtle hues and gradations of the spectrum of narcissistic depravity, we default to habitual adjectives such as "good" and "evil". Such intellectual laziness does this pernicious phenomenon and its victims little justice.

Note - Why are we Fascinated by Evil and Evildoers?

The common explanation is that one is fascinated with evil and evildoers because, through them, one vicariously expresses the repressed, dark, and evil parts of one's own personality. Evildoers, according to this theory, represent the "shadow" nether lands of our selves and, thus, they constitute our antisocial alter egos. Being drawn to wickedness is an act of rebellion against social strictures and the crippling bondage that is modern life. It is a mock synthesis of our Dr. Jekyll with our Mr. Hyde. It is a cathartic exorcism of our inner demons.

Yet, even a cursory examination of this account reveals its flaws.

Far from being taken as a familiar, though suppressed, element of our psyche, evil is mysterious. Though preponderant, villains are often labeled "monsters" - abnormal, even supernatural aberrations. It took Hanna Arendt two thickset tomes to remind us that evil is banal and bureaucratic, not fiendish and omnipotent.

In our minds, evil and magic are intertwined. Sinners seem to be in contact with some alternative reality where the laws of Man are suspended. Sadism, however deplorable, is also admirable because it is the reserve of Nietzsche's Supermen, an indicator of personal strength and resilience. A heart of stone lasts longer than its carnal counterpart.

Throughout human history, ferocity, mercilessness, and lack of empathy were extolled as virtues and enshrined in social institutions such as the army and the courts. The doctrine of Social Darwinism and the advent of moral relativism and deconstruction did away with ethical absolutism. The thick line between right and wrong thinned and blurred and, sometimes, vanished.

Evil nowadays is merely another form of entertainment, a species of pornography, a sanguineous art. Evildoers enliven our gossip, color our drab routines and extract us from dreary existence and its depressive correlates. It is a little like collective self-injury. Self-mutilators report that parting their flesh with razor blades makes them feel alive and reawakened. In this synthetic universe of ours, evil and gore permit us to get in touch with real, raw, painful life.

The higher our desensitized threshold of arousal, the more profound the evil that fascinates us. Like the stimuli-addicts that we are, we increase the dosage and consume added tales of malevolence and sinfulness and immorality. Thus, in the role of spectators, we safely maintain our sense of moral supremacy and self-righteousness even as we wallow in the minutest details of the vilest crimes.

Answer 2

Narcissism And Evil

Answer 3

Narcissism is a condition that affects someone, and not something a person decides to be.

Narcissism is a psycological problem rather than a belief, so it can't be evil.


Here's a snippet taken from the link below



Narcissism (rather, pathological narcissism) is the absence of a functioning self (or, to be more precise, ego).
It is the constant dependence upon other people to gain self esteem, to regulate a sense of self worth and to gain self confidence.
Narcissism is, therefore, other-absorption rather than self-absorption.
The Narcissist is attuned to input (real or perceived) from other people because in the absence of such constant feedback it feels annulled, non-existent, void (and in many respects, he is). I use he, though everything I say here applies equally forcefully to women.
The Narcissist constructs an elaborate, largely fictitious, grandiose image of himself (the "False Self"). He then hurls it at people and monitors their every reaction. Reactions that conform to the information contained in the False Self generate a flooding sensation of omnipotence, omniscience, brilliance and perfection.
Reactions that negate the False Self cause narcissistic injury - a terrible, insupportable, excruciating agony. The Narcissist administers mental painkillers to himself by discounting ("devaluing") the source of the hurtful reaction, by dismissing the reaction itself, or by altering the False Self to conform to it - in short, by activating a mechanism known as "cognitive dissonance".

Answer 4

I have read neither but I personally have little problem with narcissism. Everyone starts out with the belief that the universe revolves around them, time and society forces us to learn to compromise that but for many it doesn't really go away. We look after ourselves, better ourselves. Our brains and bodies and lives are what we're stuck with and will have for all our lives so why not improve them? And feel good when we do? If we didn't love ourselves we would be pessimists without goals of improvement if we don't feel capable of improving and we would bring everyone else down. Narcissism doesn't have to go off the deep end but a reserve of it held inside I think can be very healthy.

Answer 5

Narcissism in itself is evil, but caring for yourself, loving yourself is not evil. I suppose that sounds like a contradiction, but it's not.
Narcissism is EXCESSIVE love of yourself. Not just love of yourself. We must love ourselves and treat ourselves with respect and keep our self dignity. Our bodies are the temple of the Lord. We are to love others as we love ourselves.

Answer 6

Who's to say what's evil and what's not? I guess it depends on what narcissism makes people do.

Answer 7

narcissism isn't necessarily evil as much as it is
detrimental to ones healthy outlook of themself.and anything detrimental ca certainly be thought of as evil,but in this case evil can't exist as one understands the meaning.

Answer 8

it is good to love yourself but when you love yourself so much that you make others hate u it is kind of evil. what i mean is u need to find a balence between good narcissism and evil one!

Answer 9

Not necessarily evil but more pathetic. Just like the two books you mentioned.

Answer 10

narcissism is a good thing, one must love himself. but too much narcissism can drive you nuts! theres a cool story in greek mythology that about it ^^